


If Castiel Was A Cake

by hollyblue2



Series: Writing Challenge Entries [38]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Baking, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Stress, Stress Baking, friend gatherings and cake eating, med student!dean, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 16:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20978702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyblue2/pseuds/hollyblue2
Summary: Castiel comes home to a stressed Dean baking a lot of cakes. So, he decides that a gathering of friends is the best way to keep Dean's mind off everything and it comes with a bonus extra Castiel has been waiting on for years.





	If Castiel Was A Cake

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Writers of Destiel Weekly Words, the prompt was 'Baking'
> 
> Thank you to Courtney for hashing this fic out when I got stuck and to Serenity for being an awesome beta! :D ♥

* * *

Castiel hangs up his trenchcoat to the smell of something delicious baking in the kitchen. He breathes in deeply and smiles. His roommate, Dean, bakes a lot, which is great for his taste buds but not so great for his eating habits - Cas is definitely smelling an extra run this week.

“Dean, I’m home!” he calls into the house and makes his way into the kitchen in socked feet. He expects baked goods on the counter and Dean in the living room reading when he doesn’t hear an answer, or maybe Dean will be oven watching. What he doesn’t expect is the kitchen counters to be lined with baked goods from cookies to layer cakes and cupcakes, more bowls of frosting than Cas thought they had bowls and a very harried and flush-faced Dean mixing frantically with his back turned to the door. 

This is so much worse than he expected. 

"Dean?" Castiel calls, and Dean whips round. He's wearing the apron Castiel bought him for Christmas, the one that says 'May I suggest the sausage', and it's covered in cake batter, chocolate and frosting. 

"Oh, hey, Cas," he says with a smile that betrays everything that is before them. 

"What are you stressed about?" Castiel asks cautiously and Dean stops mid-stir, looking a little bewildered.

"I'm fine," he says and Castiel sighs.

"The," Castiel scans the surfaces trying to calculate just how much Dean has baked, "near hundred bakes in this kitchen suggest otherwise. Please stop, Dean, come and sit down." He beckons Dean towards him but Dean hesitates. 

“I’m fine, Cas,” Dean insists. Castiel doesn’t believe him but he drops the matter. 

“We should at least invite some people over to eat all this,” Castiel says with a smile. “I love your baking, but no amount of running is going to burn all this off.”

Dean chuckles but nods. He puts down the spatula and bowl and then removes his apron - Cas would never have been able to tell Dean had been up to his elbows in baking if it weren’t for the flour mark on his cheek and the batter splashed up his arm. 

Castiel pulls up their group chat as he makes his way into their living room, kicking his shoes off at the door. Castiel has had his own week of stress, but all of it is work related that he can leave at the office door. Dean, however, has his stress clinging to him. Distracting him with a gathering for eating cake will help, he’s sure, but he would still like to see if he can find out what’s been bothering Dean. 

He flops onto the couch sideways, feet on the other cushion until Dean sits on top of them and he shuffles his feet so they’re under Dean’s thighs. Dean doesn’t look at him when quiet reigns over them and Castiel pings a message out to their friends. 

At least five of them answer and Castiel shows Dean his phone to say who’s coming. 

“The smell of cake on you is endearing, but you should probably shower before they get here,” Castiel tells him gently, poking his toe into Dean’s thigh to keep his attention. Dean nods along, and Castiel doesn’t mention that Dean showering might also liven him up a bit. Whatever is eating at him is sure chewing hard. 

Dean disappears from the living room soon after and Castiel picks himself up to get the house suitable for guests. He gathers Dean’s small business magazines and stacks them to one side of the coffee table and then stashes away their odds and ends in the cabinet drawer with their other knick-knacks. 

He tackles the kitchen next, plating up the cupcakes and cookies in some semblance of order when a very chocolatey-looking cookie takes his fancy and he shoves the melt-in-the-mouth, chocolate-chunk cookie in his mouth. 

“Caught ya,” Dean says behind him, startling Castiel. He whirls around to find Dean in the doorway looking fresh and very bare-chested on his way back to his bedroom. 

Castiel’s mouth gapes for a few seconds, heart shuddering in his chest, before he manages to work his mouth into chewing and swallowing the cookie. “It was delicious.”

“Uh, quadruple chocolate cookie that one, it’s got white, milk and dark chips in it along with the cocoa powder,” Dean explains, fiddling with the knot in his towel. Castiel wishes he wouldn’t, if the towel comes undone he knows he won’t be able to look away, he’s been scared of making any kind of move on Dean for years. They’re roommates, nothing more. 

“Best thing I’ve ever tasted,” Castiel says, licking his lips.

“Maybe hold that judgement until you’ve tried the lemon and honey cakes I made.”

Castiel’s heart absolutely and resolutely belongs to Dean in that moment. If Castiel was a cake, lemon and honey would be it. 

“I thought you’d like it.”

“Please don’t ever stop baking for as long as I live, I will be your roommate forever.”

Dean chuckles awkwardly and then disappears, leaving Cas facing the lemon and honey cupcakes. They’re topped with a swirl of white frosting, curls of candied lemon and drizzled with extra honey. He bends down to smell them and Dean’s used Cas’ favourite honey, he can tell by the distinct smell, which means they’re going to taste extra good. 

Castiel tears himself away from the cake before he eats them all and presses on, making everything neat and tidy. He told their friends to be here an hour from now, so he has plenty of time. 

Once their apartment is respectable, Castiel showers quickly and gets dressed and finds Dean in the living room reading one of the magazines, they smile at one another, briefly before spending the last few minutes before their friends are due to arrive in peace. 

***

The apartment quickly becomes a sugar-powered ruckus but Castiel has spotted Dean looking far more relaxed and enjoying himself. Dean’s basking in the praise about his baking and that alone is enough to make Castiel happy. He snags himself his third honey and lemon cake, unable to get enough and not even feeling guilty when he steals another three and hides them in his bedroom in a box in his nightstand. 

Castiel is definitely confident for the bakery Dean’s planning, if he can bake this much in a day, he’ll never run out. 

When Castiel comes back into the lounge, Charlie is sat close to Dean with one of the chocolate orange cakes, made obvious by the bright orange icing on top. “So you asked Cas out yet?” she asks and Castiel frowns. This conversation is not for him to hear, but he is intrigued. 

“I’m pretty sure he’s seeing someone, Charlie, and I don’t want to jeopardise what they have,” Dean replies somewhat forlornly.

He doesn’t know why Dean would think he’s dating anyone, he hasn’t dated in over a year because he’s been wholly hung up on Dean. Of course, he has plenty of male friends and co-workers, but that definitely doesn’t mean he’s dated any of them. 

Castiel lets it slide, wondering if there’s a way he can bring it up in conversation somehow. 

“Anyone for coffee?” Castiel announces, his initial intention for being in the living room in the first place. 

Dean’s cheeks flush bright red, like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but he seems to shake it off quickly.

Castiel gets back chimes of affirmatives and then goes back into the kitchen to put the coffee maker on. He’s glad Dean made him buy the extra-large coffee maker. They drink enough between them as it is, but it also works wonders when they have guests. 

“Need a hand?” Dean asks, coming into the kitchen and opening the fridge and passing the creamer to Cas. 

“Can you get six mugs?”

“Sure,” Dean says and grabs all of their nerdy mugs from the top shelf. 

Castiel wonders if this is a good time to talk about  _ them _ , but it feels stilted and awkward, almost as if the both of them are aware of what is between them. 

“Hey, Cas?”

“Dean,” they both say at the same time and Castiel gestures for Dean to continue.

“I think… things have been...” Dean stops, and sighs. “You were right, I’m stressed. My exams are coming up at med school and I don’t feel anywhere near ready for them. I’ve had my uncle on my ass about going down to see my dad, he ain't pushing but I know he wants me to go see him. But the guy's a drunk and I've given enough of my time to him." 

Castiel has heard bits and pieces about Dean's father and he doesn't sound like the most decent guy, so he can understand the stress of not wanting to see him. He also knows that Dean's father has been ill for years, courtesy of all the drinking he'd been doing since Dean was young, so he expects some part of Dean wants to see him again. 

"And… I've been trying so damn hard — "

"I know," Castiel slides in, taking a step towards Dean so they're side by side against the counter, the coffee pot bubbling away behind them. He can hear their friends laughing in the other room and that sound alone makes him feel happy. 

"Trying so damn hard to work up the courage to ask you out," Dean finishes. Castiel's eyes move to Dean's and he can feel the weight of Dean's gaze on him. “But I’m too late, ‘cos you’re already seeing someone.”

Castiel's heart flourishes and he smiles, moving an inch closer to Dean so that their arms are touching. "That makes what I was going to say to you a lot easier."

"It does?" Dean pushes himself off the counter and then he turns on Castiel with a light bit quizzical look on his face.

"Firstly, I haven’t been on a date in over a year, if you think it’s one of the guys from work, he’s just one of those too friendly for his own good co-workers. Besides, I was going to ask if you'd like to go for coffee sometime, as… more than friends," Castiel says and takes a big breath. "So, it seems we are on the same page, which I'm glad for, I don't know how much longer I can hold onto my feelings. So, my answer would be yes, if you ever got the courage to ask me out."

Dean grins, all the features it stress washing away even if just for a moment and then he comes close to Castiel. It's close enough that Castiel can smell the aroma of Dean's deodorant, still strong after his shower. 

"Cas, you wanna go out with me? I promise to, uh," Dean looks behind him at the remaining cakes. "Bake you cakes whenever you want, and also I'll come out on a run or two with you."

"You don't have to bribe me with cakes, but I'll take that offer anyway. I've been desperate for a running buddy." 

Dean leans down a little, Castiel's cheeks heat quickly, and then he presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Finally!" Charlie's exclamation comes from the doorway and Castiel looks over Dean's shoulder towards the sound. Dean's forehead hits Castiel's shoulder in embarrassment. 

"We have the worst friends," Dean grumbles half-heartedly. 

"They just have bad timing."

"Who has bad timing?" Gabriel says as he pokes his head in beside Charlie. "Oh! Finally!"

"Right!"

Dean groans and Castiel reaches an arm around Dean in comfort. The others join them, offering their comments and congratulations. Benny and Garth and Jo all happy for them. Dean seems happy too, smiling and over his initial embarrassment of being caught having his moment with Castiel. 

They eat cake together for the rest of the evening and watch movies before they send their friends home with boxes of cakes each. Dean makes sure all the honey and lemon ones stay behind just for Cas and Cas smiles at him with all his heart.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic! Please let me know! 
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://envydean.tumblr.com) | [My Writing Tumblr](https://envydeanwrites.tumblr.com)


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